If you’re looking for a case study about the environmental management of oilsands development, take a look at how water from the Athabasca River is used in oilsands extraction.
This case study tells the story of how our governments are failing to balance the needs of the river with the demands of a thirsty industry, though no single company or project is to blame.
The narrative is complex, featuring a series of missed policy deadlines, competing statistics and questionable facts. But it could also be a good news story, with an economically viable solution waiting in the wings.
Let’s start with the water.
This article originally appeared in the September 2013 issue of Oilsands Review.
